


And We Were Birds

by ashley_ingenious



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU - The Stilinskis and the Hales are neighbors, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Fluff, Gen, Kid!Derek, Kid!Stiles, Pre-Fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-10-30
Packaged: 2017-12-30 23:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashley_ingenious/pseuds/ashley_ingenious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The kid hadn't stopped talking since he'd walked into the door and introduced himself. Stiles something or other. And Stiles was a weird name, but Derek didn't have time to think about it, because he was enraptured by the story that was spilling out before him at a mile a minute. </p><p>It starts with a kid that won't shut up and ends with best friends. Somehow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And We Were Birds

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I'm sorry. I had feels. And this happened. It's just short and fluffy and adorable. I could be persuaded to write more but only if you guys like, care, and it would really surprise me if you did.

The kid hadn't stopped talking since he'd walked into the door and introduced himself. Stiles something or other. And Stiles was a weird name, but Derek didn't have time to think about it, because he was enraptured by the story that was spilling out before him at a mile a minute. 

"And just when I was about to dump all of my sand into Scott's hair, the bushes at the side of the house started to shake." Stiles paused for dramatic effect, and Derek leaned in, against his own volition, "I dropped some of the sand in his hair anyway. I didn't mean to. I just got scared a little bit. But not a lot! Because I'm brave," the child puffed his chest out and Derek nodded, believing him completely. Derek wasn't brave. He'd never work up the courage to pour sand all over someone's head. "Scott didn't want to go see what it was, but we had to, right? It was in _my_ backyard! So I made him come with me and we got a stick, it wasn't big or anything but I didn't want to be close to the bush, you know? So we took a stick, and then I poked at the bush. And then you know what happened?" 

Derek shook his head. He was dying to know what happened.

"Birds flew out! Like, a million of them! Which is weird because they were supposed to be in the sky already, right? Or in trees. It's weird for birds to be in bushes. My mom told me. Especially that many. The branches are too small or something..." the younger boy trailed off. But Derek needed more. 

"Then what happened?" He asked, voice quiet, and Stiles beamed at him, face lighting up like dawn, cracking the darkness open. 

"Then," he began, with much gusto, "Scott and I decided that we didn't want to play sand monsters anymore. And we were birds instead!" He stretched his arms, long for his size, out at his sides, and fake flew around the room. And Derek had never been cool, like Laura, or Trevor. He was the youngest, the baby, and so everything he did was uncool just as an extension of him, but he knew they'd tease him mercilessly if they ever saw this. He was too old to be enjoying the company of a seven year old this much. Teenagers didn't hang out with seven year olds. 

Still, Stiles was flapping around the living room, making horrible imitation bird noises, and Derek couldn't help but laugh. It was a rare sound, and the first time he'd done it since Stiles had been here. The younger boy stopped short, spinning around to catch the source. His fingers, still outstretched, caught the edge of a vase on a low bookshelf, and sent it clattering to the floor, where it shattered into tiny, jagged pieces. 

Derek heard his mother turn away from the stove and come bustling into the room. Rushing forward, he pushed Stiles behind him, standing next to the broken glass of the vase. "What in the world was..." Talia stopped at the side of Derek posed protectively in front of their new neighbor, the younger boy peeking out from the space under Derek's armpit. 

"I did it. I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. I'll pay for it out of my allowance." Derek stammered. Talia's eyes narrowed. She knew he was lying. He knew she knew he was lying. She didn't quite understand why he would try, but then his eyes turned pleading, and his head kind of jerked behind him, and she thought she might be starting to get it. Derek _liked_ this boy. Derek had a friend. Shy and quiet, her baby didn't often make friends. He kept to himself, mostly, lost in books or roaming around the woods by himself. The lone wolf in a thriving pack. It broke Talia's heart that she hadn't known how to bring him into the fold better. What kind of Alpha was she if her own son felt so much distance from the pack? 

So it soothed her greatly, to see him showing this kind of protectiveness over someone. And he'd chosen wisely, if the kid was any indication. He'd just stepped out from behind Derek, now standing at his side, chin held high. "It's my fault. Derek didn't do anything. I was trying to fly, and I hit it. I'm very sorry. I don't get an allowance yet. But I can get money from somewhere. I just don't want Derek to get in trouble. He's my b--, well, Scott's my best friend, but if I were allowed to have two best friends? Are you allowed to have two best friends? Derek would be my second one." 

Derek, who looked like he didn't know if he wanted to swell with pride or growl in frustration that his new friend had abandoned the shelter of protection he'd been trying to provide. "You've known me for like, an hour," he grumbled. 

Stiles turned to him, whiskey eyes wide and a little terrified. The scent of the boy’s anxiety hit Talia's nose and she wanted to whine in sympathy. "Do you not wanna be my best friend?" 

"No, I, that's not what I..." Derek heaved a sigh and shuffled his feet a little. "I think that'd be really cool." He said finally, voice still sounding a little morose. Stiles noticed. "Are you sad because you're my second best friend? I'm sorry. You can't be the first one, 'cause I met Scott first. That's fair, right?" He glanced at Talia, but then nodded before she could give an answer, "Yeah. That's fair. And I've known Scott longer, but I'm pretty sure I like you just as much, and--"

"Derek," Talia cut in, and her son's eyes flicked to hers immediately, "We'll talk about my vase later. Take him up to your room, away from the glass." He nodded, wrapping his hand around Stiles' wrist and dragging him up the stairs. 

When he got into his room, he collapsed on the edge of his bed with a huff. Stiles hovered awkwardly inside the door frame. "You're still mad at me," he muttered. Derek shook his head,"Why do you think that?" He asked, trying to keep his voice light. It worked enough that Stiles took a tentative step closer. "Your eyebrows look angry," the young boy replied, and Derek worked to school his features, but his mounting frustration prevented him. He sighed, "It's just, I'm not mad at you, it's just...Why'd you tell her you did it? Why didn't you let me protect you? Do you think I wouldn't be good at it?" Derek shut his mouth immediately, horrified at himself. There had been way more insecurity in those words than he'd meant to let show. And to a seven year old, of all people. Not cool was fine, but this? This was just embarrassing. Even Stiles looked bewildered. 

But, brave as he was, he shuffled closer to the bed, and wrapped his arms around Derek's shoulders in an awkward hug. Derek found himself almost immediately calmed by the sensation. Stiles' voice was muffled into the space between his shoulder and neck, but Derek heard him clearly, "Me and Scott? We take turns with stuff. And it was my fault. So I was just thinking it was my turn to protect _you_." 

Derek didn't know how to handle that. So he didn't. They just sat, Stiles' inability to be still had them rocking a little, and eventually, he unwound his arms from around Derek and sat down next to him on the bed. The older boy found he didn't like the loss of contact, so he grabbed one of Stiles' hands in his own. He didn't seem to mind. 

"D'you really want to be my best friend?" 

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" 

Derek shook his head, "I don't think I'm going to be any good at it." 

The child's hand squeezed his, and when he glanced over, Stiles was smiling, all hope and optimism. "That’s okay. I'll help you."

**Author's Note:**

> Do you tumblr? I tumblr. You should come hang out with me [here](http://worththeapplepie.tumblr.com). I write notes to Dylan O'Brien and post all the ideas that I want to write and don't get a chance to because things like the above ^^^^ happen. It'll be fun!


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